Handmade Soaps

Saguaro Soaps

What is Cold Process Soap?

Cold Process soap making refers to a technique used for centuries that utilize a base and an alkali to create soap. The traditional method was to mix rendered animal fats and wood ashes, today we are blessed with Vegetable Oils and Sodium Hydroxide!

Saguaro Soaps utilizes only Vegetable fats in creating soap. Saguaro Soaps recognizes that there is a certain amount of the population that prefers to remain as animal product free as possible and we try to cater to those individuals. By mixing vegetable oils such as Olive, Palm, Grape seed, Sweet Almond, Avocado, Jojoba, Soybean, Coconut and Butters such as Shea and Cocoa, with Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) in very exact ratios at certain temperatures one can create bars of soap that are chock full of natural Glycerin. Glycerin is a humectant that draws moisture to your skin. After going through a process called Saponification and curing for a time, handcrafted soaps are the mildest and best for your skin.

Most "soap" on the market in stores is not actually soap - it is a detergent bar (sometimes called a "beauty bar" on the packaging because is it not true soap) made with synthetic ingredients like Sodium Dodecylbenzene-Sulfonate(a harsh synthetic detergent that can irritate the skin and cause vomiting if swallowed). Most detergent bars are made with Beef Fat (Tallow), and heated to very high temperatures to speed the Saponification process so they can sell their soap as soon as it is made without letting it cure.

Commercially prepared "soap" has also had the glycerin removed from it. The manufacturers then sell the glycerin to lotion manufacturers that include it in their lotions which are then sold to you to combat the dryness from using commercial Beauty Bars! Handmade soap naturally contains up to 15% glycerin. Handcrafted soap makers craft their soaps from scratch in much smaller batches than commercial soap manufacturers, adding ingredients which are beneficial to skin care and even clear up some skin conditions on some individuals. Handcrafted soap cures for weeks to allow extra moisture to evaporate which leads to longer use in the shower or bath. Don’t be surprised when your handcrafted soaps outlast store bought soaps by up to four times as long. Handcrafted soap is mild enough for baby’s skin and lathers up nicely on our furry friends as well! When you use a bar of true handcrafted soap, you can see and feel the difference!

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